Cricket Australia has announced it will not be going ahead with a Twenty20 series against Afghanistan in August, postponing the three-match contest over human rights concerns in the country.
In January last year, Australia’s men’s team withdrew from an ODI series against Afghanistan that was scheduled to be played in the United Arab Emirates in March 2023 due to the Taliban’s “restrictions on women’s and girls’ education and employment opportunities, and their ability to access parks and gyms”.
At the time, CA said it would “continue to engage with the Afghanistan Cricket Board in anticipation of improved conditions for women and girls in the country”.
“Over the past 12 months, CA has continued to consult with the Australian government on the situation in Afghanistan,” a CA statement announcing the 2024 postponement read.
“The government’s advice is that conditions for women and girls in Afghanistan are getting worse.
“For this reason, we have maintained our previous position and will postpone the bilateral series against Afghanistan.”
CA said it would keep working with the International Cricket Council and Afghanistan Cricket Board to try to figure out how to play bilateral matches in the future.
Afghanistan gained full ICC membership, and Test status, in 2017 and has played nine Tests since then, but none against Australia.
The teams were scheduled to face off in Perth in November 2020, but the game was postponed by the COVID-19 pandemic.
In August the following year, the Taliban took control of Afghanistan, prompting a number of countries to raise concerns over playing the country on a global stage.